Just had an earthquake!

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
1

We just had an earthquake here in southern California. Initial reports put it way out in the desert–shit! Now we’re having an aftershock!

It’s times like these I hate living here. Ooh, this is such a weird feeling. It’s very much a liquid sensation–almost like my apartment is rolling back and forth on wheels. That one seems to be passed now.

Okay, radio says preliminary reports are show it was a 7.0 (!) with an epicenter about 32 miles north of Joshua Tree (an online pal is saying it’s Barstow). They’re wondering if it was an aftershock of the Landers quake from a few years back. No injuries or damage, though, probably because it’s so far away.

I was trying to sleep when I felt it start–a gentle roll that just gradually progressed, then faded away. It lasted forever (at least it feels like it). The Northridge quake grabbed right away, a sharp jerk and jumping, verses this creepy thing. I was frozen in my bed, listening, waiting, feeling my heart pound into my throat. The cupboards flew open, and I heard my 30gal tank sloshing (and its filter smacking the wall)…I was so afraid the thing was going to fall over. After the quake passed, I still had that weird vertigo sensation–kinda like when you’re on a drop ride (such as Shockwave or Superman) and there’s a period of weightlessness.

So now I’m wide awake, my stomach hurts (even a little nauseated), and I’m still trembling a little. Fortunately, the earth isn’t. I just hope I can sleep soon.

Freakin’ plate tectonics.

2

LauraRae, you are right: creepy was the word. I was on the couch, reading and dozing off, when I felt something and thought, “Please let that be some drunk asshole stomping into the building.” But it kept going, and when I heard rumbling, I cautiously got up and started edging away from the bookcases and picture window, towards the door. Nothing fell down except my dictionary, the framed tickets from Phantom Menace, and an action figure. (You can tell what kind of people we are!) It was like being on a boat; part of me was appreciating the building’s construction, probably planned to roll with impact as it did. Jeez, though, every time this happens, they always say it’s an aftershock from this or that. When you look at it, everything’s an aftershock from the continental plates coming together millions of years ago; sheesh!
Interesting sidebar: You may or may not remember a post I made a while back in one of the “mundane ramblings” threads, about my friends “Laura” and “Tom” who were letting “Tina” stay with them while she was down on her luck. Recently, Tina got loaded, missed her shift and was fired, and Tom said she had to go. She’s still living there. This quake was felt in that neighborhood, too; not bad, but it definitely woke everyone up. Laura told me when I called there that she went downstairs and Tina said, “Why is the baby crying?” If she gets so messed up that she doesn’t even feel an earthquake, that ain’t good.
Hope none of you all were hurt!

Remember, I’m pulling for you; we’re all in this together.
—Red Green

3

A 7 ???

Good lord, it’d have to be a deep one then. 7 would shake CA free from the continent!

“To me, socks are like sex. Tons of it about, and I don’t seem to get any.”

4

Here’s the “official” story: Oooh! I can’t put the whole thing here 'cause of copyright, can I? Damn. Well, I’ll put the “meat” of it here and edit out (hear that, Eutychus? This will NOT be the entire article–in fact, I chopped out at least half):

I can add that they have named this the “Hector Mine” earthquake, as it turned out not to be an aftershock of the Landers quake. It’s apparently on a different fault line, and was named for an old mine near the epicenter.

BTW, I meant “preliminary reports show” in my OP. Thought I’d caught all mistakes, but it was 3am… :confused:

Oh yeah, one more thing–I’m beginning to believe the thing about cats/dogs sensing the quake before it hits. Inigo simply would not leave me alone last night–around 2am, he kept jumping on the bed and meowing at me. He had food and water; I didn’t understand and was quite annoyed. (It’s not uncommon for him to be playful and jump on and off the bed, but this time he was actually getting in my face and mewing.) After the earthquake, I found him hiding under the coffee table–he seemed to know exactly where to be. Now, he’s contently purring in my lap. Go figger. :slight_smile:

“My cat’s breath smells like cat food.” --Ralph Wiggum, hero and icon

5

D’oh! Did NOT mean for all of that to be bold–just what I wrote in brackets. A bit embarrassed here :open_mouth: (think I just need more sleep)…

6

Checking in here. We’re fine, didn’t lose anything except some sleep in the quake. Youngest Son was spending the night at a friend’s house, and the two of them slept through it, thank goodness! Eldest Son and Middle Son both woke up (veterans of the Northridge Quake that they are).

This is the first time that we’ve had this big a quake where I haven’t been sleeeping on the same floor as the kids, and it really bothered me. It was a long quake, probably about 45 seconds or so, and all I wanted to do was run downstairs to get to the boys. And I knew that that would be the stupidest thing to do, because of course you never know, in the course of a quake, if it’s suddenly going to get MUCH worse.

Earlier this year we had bought two or three of those flashlights that you plug in to the wall and keep charged. One of them is right next to my side of the bed, so when the power went out we had light right away. (And the power was only off for a minute or so for us, although I understand for some folks it might not be back on yet.) Those things are expensive, but I think I’m gonna go buy a few more of 'em this weekend!

I woke up for the 5.8 aftershock at about 5:57 a.m., but the rest of the family slept through it. I’m sure there will be more aftershocks throughout the day. Oh, and the cat had disappeared by the time the quake hit – he usually sleeps right at my feet. The dog – nothing.

Reporting from Earthquake Country . . . :slight_smile:
(I live a couple of blocks east from the Jet Propulsion Lab – JPL – which is at the border of La Canada and Pasadena).

-Melin

7

West! I live a couple of blocks WEST of JPL! (I’m directionally challenged!)

-Melin

8

Earthquakes on the west coast, hurricanes on the east coast, thank God I live on the Colorado Front Range.

Course we do have the occasional blizzard and tornado, but sheesh.

Hope you all are well and safe!

BTW, it is snowing here today…soft and light. Wish you were here!

9

Just a gentle shaking for about 30 seconds and sloshing of the fish tank in Mar Vista, and no aftershocks. I agree about the cats; Enid was restless and clingy all evening. I thought she’d been upset by seeing cats outside – she’s an indoor girl and thinks outdoor cats mean Trouble – but she may have been sensing something was up. She’s sticking close now.

Catrandom

10

Again, I may have been at sea too long, but I found Laura’s OP (especially para. 4) strangely sexual.

11

dammit it ruined my sleep!
but i hope there isnt another one… the northridge once a while back was pretty scary!

Chief’s Domain - http://www.seas.ucla.edu/~ravi

12

I’ve been to California some 10 to 15 times since 1980. Never at the right time (except once: I was somewhere in the Big Sur area and a quake of relatively small magnitude struck around 4:00 AM; heard about it next day on the news :)). LauraRae and Rilchiam, whereabouts do you live, if you don’t mind my asking?

Hope everything is going well for all our Californian friends.

Chief: Time for some shore leave.

13

I live in Gardena, in Los Angeles County, about 100 miles, I guess, from the epicenter. I had fitful sleep last night and was already awake when our mobile home started to shake. Clock said 2:48. Shook for 30 seconds. The only effects of the shaking were my cassette holders rattling a little, and the water in the park swimming pool sloshing out, which it does with every quake, of course. I heard about the Amtrak train that was derailed. :frowning:

14

Woke us up here in San Diego. Feaked my husband (from Wisconsin) and the dog out, didn’t bother me and the kid’s too awful much – we are from California! Felt shaky and vertigo-ish for a bit afterwards. And then I was too worried to sleep. I knew that we weren’t likely to be the epicenter of a quake that big, and I kept thinking about Northridge. Even worse, I wondered if the epicenter might have been in Mexico. I would have slept better if I had gotten up and checked the news. Then my mother-in-law called and told us that the news in WI was saying the quake’s epicenter was in San Francisco! “Well,” I thought, “if that originated in San Francisco and we felt it this strongly here, Frisco must be lying on her side right about now!” So I got up and turned on CNN. Was very glad to hear she was wrong!

Jess

Full of 'satiable curtiosity

15

Jess, ten to one the people in WI who got that imporession couldn’t find San Francisco on CA if it bit them on the nose!
And please: DON’T CALL IT FRISCO!!!

16

Supposedly there was an earthquake in the Ohio Valley earlier this year. I didn’t feel it, but they said it was like a 3.0 or something. Toledo isn’t supposed to get those things ya know!

“I’m not dumb. I just have a command of thoroughly useless information.”-- Calvin and Hobbes
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17

The USGS wants to hear from people who experienced this morning’s earthquake. You feedback will help them analyze the strenght and distribution of the effects of the quake. To participate:

USGS Earthquake Survey

TT

“Believe those who seek the truth.
Doubt those who find it.” --Andre Gide

18

Funny this quake happened just one day shy of the great Loma Prieta quake here in Northern California! Well, we are too far north of the quake in SoCal to have felt it (I was up at the time it happened). I was a bit surprised to hear about it too. Thank goodness it was in basically the high desert. We would have definately heard much more if it had struck within the populated centers of SoCal. Glad our LA people are ok!

Oh and on the news the other day, they said there’s a 70% chance of a magnitude 6.7 quake happening here in Northern California within the next 30 years on either the San Andreas or Hayward faultlines.

‘The beginning calls for courage; the end demands care’

19

Tomorrow, Sunday, we are celebrating the tenth year anneverisary of the Loma Prieta quake. Boy, was that a shaker.

People from the east get queasy when you tlak about earthquakes.

20

Too true. And my mother-in-law, while a very nice lady, is not the brightest bulb on the string. They were here visiting less than 6 months ago and we drove them to San Franciso – a 10 hour drive… Still, I’ll cut her some slack. They just don’t ‘get’ earthquakes back there in WI.

Yeah, yeah. So sorry. I’m from Northern CA (Ukiah in Mendocino County) and know how picky you all are about the dreaded “Frisco.” I just didn’t want to use “San Francisco” twice in the same sentence.

Jess

Full of 'satiable curtiosity